Mechs Demons
by Tijiya
Summary: Yusuke had thought that demons were the only other intelligant life aside from humans. Not only was he wrong, but he gets to find out about them close up.
1. Chapter 1

Yusuke Urameshi, despite being a special government worker, still had to deal with idiots. Only now they were idiots who were, as he loved to put it, looking to get themselves killed. This left him to drag their sorry asses out of danger and clean up their mess.

He was the designated demon expert and fighter, he was also appointed to train various men in the basics of demons both on and off the field. He didn't mind instructing them in the midst of a widespread room where they were in danger of nothing but himself. However, he would become highly irate every time an inexperienced fighter was sent with him for 'field experience'. Sure they were highly trained and the best in their class against humans, but demons were a whole different ball park. No matter how many times he reminded them of this, the higher ups didn't listen.

You could take a gun and shoot the bastards down, but you needed to be quick enough to do so. If you missed that first shot you might as well kiss your sorry ass goodbye. That's why they had him there, to keep idiots like them from being killed on the field and to help prepare for any sudden attacks. The way things were going he felt more like a babysitter than anything.

Yusuke winced as the wrappings pulled against his wound when he bent over to pick up the fallen mail. Of course saving the fighters usually meant gaining wounds he would normally be able to avoid. He was highly tempted to simply bash his foot into his door; it would be worth it if it meant getting rid of the increasing frustration he was feeling. He decided against it and simply opened the door. Besides, Kurama would kill him if he had to replace the door yet again simply because Yusuke was in a bad mood.

He didn't notice the door opening behind him as he tossed the mail onto the table and threw his car key into the garbage can with more force than necessary. He plopped into a chair and let his head fall onto the table with a resounding thud.

If Kurama had witnessed Yusuke's silent tantrum, he didn't say anything about it. He simply put his briefcase down and put his coat in the closet. He knew about Yusuke's day as well as of the three soldiers that had accompanied the half demon. Yusuke had every right to be upset. Kurama didn't say anything knowing the young man would blurt it all out on his own.

Working as the representative for the demon world was highly stressful and had requirements to pass between worlds often. He was required to keep a level head at all times and the ability to work out any problems and the like. He was granted access to any supernatural files including those who were working in the field concerning such. Therefore he was able to keep tabs on Yusuke and Shizuru as well as those they worked with.

"My truck is in the dump," Yusuke said blankly. "Three men almost got killed because of their own stupidity. One of their guns misfired and hit me. There were five demons, not two." Kurama turned the fire on beneath the tea pot as Yusuke spoke. "They wonder why I complain!" Yusuke suddenly sat up, groaning in regret as he did so.

"You did well despite the ill happenings," Kurama pointed out. He turned around and leaned against the counter as he spoke. "You showed good judgment and you were able to get all three of the men back safely. It's more than I could have said five years ago." Yusuke scowled as Kurama chuckled and removed two cups from the cupboard.

"Two of the buggers still got away," Yusuke groused. "You know they're going to be back with really big friends." He waved a hand around irritably before slouching in the chair. He sighed and murmured a thanks as Kurama handed him a cup of tea. "Something's going to happen."

"Why do you say that?" Kurama raised an inquisitive eyebrow as he peered at Yusuke over the top of his cup.

"The demons have been attacking more frequently; I haven't had a single day off for two months straight. It's like they know something's coming here….and soon." Both fell silent as the information sunk in. Kurama waited a moment more before changing the subject.

"Mr. Katashi has been speaking with the American government about something. I've tried to figure out what exactly, but the information is classified and unavailable to even me. I've heard rumors about someone being sent over here to investigate something, but that's all."

"Great, we get to deal with some snobbish government official from America!" Kurama mentally groaned. He knew the new information would only worsen Yusuke's mood; why didn't he just stick his shoe in his mouth? Yusuke was not a diplomat nor did he have the mindset of one. The last time an official had come it was a miracle that the poor man left in one piece.

"Unless they're coming to learn about demons I doubt Mr. Katashi will bother you about it." Yusuke simply grumbled into his tea cup in reply. Abruptly he began laughing, almost spilling his tea in the process. Kurama's eyes snapped to him in surprise, his cup halted its decent halfway to his mouth.

"Actually that would be something I'd pay to see!" Yusuke sniggered. "Mr. Suit and Tie would be on the first plane back with his tail between his legs at the first sight of a demon!" Kurama didn't bother to hide his amusement at the thought. There were very few humans who could look upon a demon without batting an eyelash. None of them resided in America as far as he knew. "If they're here about demons I'd be more than happy to show them. It'd be the highlight of my day."

"I think the sight of you standing up against a demon would be enough to faint out of fright."

"Why?" Yusuke questioned as his sniggers subsided.

"The mere thought of what it could do to you would frighten them beyond reason," Kurama smirked.

"Oh come on! I'd be the one tearing it apart, not the other way around!" Yusuke huffed.

"Same result," Kurama said. Yusuke shrugged and laced his hands behind his head.

"Not many humans can stand the sight of a demon being torn apart though, American or Japanese." Yusuke admitted. "I think more men have resigned as special agents under my watch then ever. I don't know how they'd react if they could see what a demon could do to a hundred humans in less then an hour. The sight is worse than a war zone, far bloodier too." Not much could faze the two battle hardened warriors, but the sight of a child mangled beyond recognition was enough to make even their stomachs churn. "I thought that things would only get better," Yusuke sighed as his tone became ever more serious. "But demons are causing more havoc then ever…it's disgusting. These are only lower levels, the ones who can slip through the barrier unnoticed…and yet the damage they cause is incredible. They're becoming bolder now that they know humans will flee instead of fight."

"Humans fear what they do not understand," Kurama reminded him unnecessarily. "They have only just begun to recognize and learn about the immediate threat; it will take longer for them to learn to fight them at equal ability."

"At this rate there will be nothing left to protect. You can prepare them all you want, but when it comes down to it you can't give them the guts to stand up to something ten times larger than them. The demons don't even have the home advantage, but they still have the advantage anyway!" Yusuke's fist pounded the table. "These guys have got to learn that they can beat a demon. They just have to have the skill needed to do so. They think that just because the demon has natural abilities they don't, all is lost." Yusuke groaned and put his head onto his hands.

"They will learn Yusuke," Kurama assured him. "They must first adjust to the idea is all." Yusuke stood and put his cup into the sink.

"Switch jobs with me for a week, I guarantee you won't be singing the same tune."

"As tempting as the offer is, I must decline," he grinned. "I fear I wouldn't have a job to return to."

"No trust," Yusuke laughed before leaving the room.

**IIIII**

**I'm going to roll with the idea while I can. It's different, I know that for a fact, and hopefully enjoyable to read.**

**Yu Yu Hakusho (c) Yoshihiro Togashi**


	2. Chapter 2

It was too early, too blasted early. Mr. Katashi had called him the previous night and made it very clear that Yusuke was to come in early the next morning. The American official was to arrive that day and Yusuke was expected to be there. Apparently the visit had everything to do with demons; else wise Yusuke would have been kept as far away from the official as possible.

Yusuke yawned widely and stretched his arms above his head as he headed towards the living room. He noted, with clear disappointment, that Kurama had already left for work. He had been planning on asking him for a ride to work, but it looked as if he'd be taking the bus.

'I'll have to go car shopping today,' he thought as he pulled on his shoes. His 'old junker' had annoyed Shizuru to no end. Neither she nor his co-workers could figure out why he had such a heap of junk when he could afford a nice ride like Kurama's. 'Maybe I'll get another one like it.' He smirked at the thought. He grabbed his wallet, work ID, and jacket before heading out the door hoping he could catch the right bus.

Autumn was still upon them and was only starting to indicate the coming winter weather. Yusuke slipped on his jacket before walking down the path that cut into, what should have been, an empty driveway. He halted as he spotted the black Topkick sitting in the driveway. His first assumption was that someone from work had come because that type of truck would belong to someone with money. He couldn't see anyone either in the cab or nearby. It was just sitting there with a set of keys in the ignition.

'Whoever owns it will be back,' he shrugged. It was strange, but he didn't have time to waste pondering the fact that a strange truck was parked in the driveway. He zipped up his jacket and headed down the driveway at a jog. He nearly tripped over his feet when the horn honked. He spun around expecting to see someone in the driver's seat, but it was still empty.

"It's either haunted or malfunctioning," he muttered. The horn blared when he continued to stand there looking at it. "Malfunctioning," he decided. Yusuke knew it would piss off his neighbors if the truck continued to honk throughout the day so he opened the driver's door and slid in. There was no sign of anything that could cause the horn to honk. Either he was imagining things or the horn had honked itself. He spotted a note upon the dashboard in neat writing that only someone who had spent a while in the Makai would be able to translate. Kurama still had a bad habit of writing in Makaian script.

_Yusuke,_

_  
The truck is yours, courtesy of Mr. Katashi. He says to take good care of it, see that you do_.

"So," he murmured as he tossed the note back onto the dashboard. "The old man decided to make sure I don't get another junker." His hands roamed over the steering wheel, his fingers momentarily resting on the middle of the wheel where a strange symbol was engraved. Smiling to himself, he flipped on the radio and turned the key. 

**IIIIII**

Yusuke knew he shouldn't have been complaining yesterday. He knew his complaints would come back and bite him in the ass. Unfortunately he had been correct and was now bored out of his mind as he walked dutifully beside Mr. Katashi. Kurama, the lucky bastard, had to report to the Makai. That left the job of answering any and all questions concerning demons to Yusuke. In all honesty he'd rather save the idiot soldiers rather than listen to the American official ask various questions about the inner workings of the Japanese secret agency. None of which, he resentfully noted, had anything to do with demons.

"You deal with the demons, correct Mr. Urameshi?" Miss Accost questioned in a professional tone.

"Yes ma'am," he replied. "Fighting wise, nothing diplomatic," he clarified lest she get the wrong impression. She made a small sound in the back of her throat as she wrote something on the notebook she carried around with her.

"He's the one that trains the soldiers to fight against the creatures; he's been doing so for nearly five years now." Approval was clear in Mr. Katashi's tone. He deliberately neglected to mention the number of men that had resigned from supernatural work.

"And Mr. Minamino also works in the demonic field?"

"Yes, but he deals with everything diplomatic. Rarely fights unless the time calls for it; he made that very clear when he agreed to work for us." Miss. Accost wrote as Mr. Katashi spoke and once again Yusuke felt as if he were merely an escort. Miss Accost suddenly cut into Yusuke's path, causing the half demon to come to a halting stop.

"Mr. Urameshi, I trust by now that nothing surprises you?"

"Nothing ma'am," Yusuke confirmed. It was a ridiculous question, but he gave her an honest answer. Nothing short of Hiei suddenly singing 'London Bridge' at the top of his lungs would surprise him.

"Good," she said in a crisp tone before walking again.

"Sir, let her watch when I blast a demon. I guarantee she'll never darken our doorstep again. She might even set a track record for 'quickest time in high heels'! That'd be a worth while accomplishment right?" He whispered to his boss. The old man didn't respond, but did allow a small chuckle to escape. Yusuke had a sneaking suspicion that he was only able to get away with that comment either because Katashi had found it truly humorous, which was odd for Yusuke had a rather 'unique' sense of humor, or the old man knew that should Yusuke be fired they'd get their asses handed to them on a silver platter the moment demons attacked.

'She must have been a teacher…or a drill sergeant.' Yusuke thought as the two began talking again. After that small conversation, nothing else she spoke of concerned demons which utterly confused Yusuke as to the necessity of his presence. He hoped for a sudden attack, which would allow him freedom from the stuffy building, but not even a small alarm went off much to his displeasure. After a while he began to wonder if they had forgotten him.

Katashi smiled to himself, not even halfway through the day and already the boy was fidgeting. The boredom that crossed Yusuke's face from time to time did not go unnoticed by the old man. It was painfully obvious that Yusuke had had more than enough of Miss. Accost and was getting restless due to not doing anything but walk and listen. Patience was not something the young man was known for. Anyone who worked with him would know. To Yusuke, this must be close to torture.

"Go, you have men waiting for instruction." Yusuke looked at his boss uncertainly, but the old man waved a hand around almost impatiently. "There are very few men here willing to deal with the political matter of things. Fortunately I happen to be one of them. You, on the other hand, are not. If she has any questions we know where to find you." Yusuke had opened his mouth to halfheartedly object. "Go train the soldiers. That is an order!"

"Yes sir!" Yusuke headed towards the training room at a brisk walk, trying not to appear too relieved.

**IIIIII**

Yusuke closed the car door and slumped into the seat with a tired sigh. That damn woman asked too many questions and distracted him too many times. He wouldn't have minded if the questions had been at all related to demons or anything close, but she was more interested in him. He didn't want to know why, he honestly didn't. He had sorely wanted to throw her into the simulation room and just leave her. Unfortunately that wasn't 'professional', which is what he was supposed to be. He didn't dare question her professionalism lest he find out how long she could rant for. Her Japanese was fairly good, though thickly accented, but he didn't want to listen to her voice for much longer. At least she couldn't get him at home.

Katashi had been constantly assuring her that Yusuke was very capable of handling 'the thing' as the old man had put it. Yusuke was completely confused and each of his questions had been left unanswered. What, exactly, was he capable of handling? What was Accost so concerned about? He decided not to think about it any further. If he was to be handling anything he'd likely find out what it was tomorrow.

"Too many late nights," he grumbled as he peered at the dashboard clock. He ran a hand through his hair before fishing the key from his jacket pocket. He slid the key in, but didn't start it up. He was greatly tempted to just drift off in the truck. In fact he'd have no qualms about doing so, but it wasn't a smart idea and so he turned the key causing the engine to start up. The thought of his bed waiting for him at home was wonderful. He planned on falling in and not waking until he had no other choice.

Before he drove out of the parking lot, his cell phone rang and vibrated on the seat causing him to swear loudly. The only reason for it to ring at this time of night, when he was leaving work no less, was because of a demon. Somewhere a demon was causing mischief or had attacked. Sure enough his assumption was confirmed as he looked at the message on his cell. He flipped it shut and tossed it back onto the seat as another tired curse left his lips. A group of low level demons, that had apparently been in hiding for years, decided to cause a shit load of trouble. Now he was ordered to go and blast their asses to spirit world. He was near exhausted and was expected to fight a bunch of the buggers! Why couldn't they wait until he was rested or Kurama returned from the Makai?

"Of course," he grumbled as he ran his hands over his face. "No directions. How does he expect me to find the buggers without knowing where they are? Does he like making me drive all over town?" The sound of the locks securing brought him from his tired musings. The engine revving brought him into full awareness. The truck driving from the parking lot without any assistance from him effectively freaked him out. Last he checked trucks were not able to drive themselves!

"Wonderful!" Yusuke nearly shouted. "I'm being kidnapped by my own freaking truck!" He tried to unlock the doors, but they remained firmly locked thus keeping him within the hexed vehicle. He wasn't about to go wherever the truck was taking him so he shifted in the seat and prepared to kick the door out. He was able to ram his foot into the door panel twice before the truck swerved sharply and blared its horn. Yusuke was tossed against the passenger door from the force of the turn.

This had to be some sort of joke. The truck must be remote controlled or something and his co-workers were having a good laugh at his expense. If he simply relaxed and went along for the ride there'd be nothing to laugh at, they'd loose interest and stop the whole thing.  
'They had me for a while there,' he thought as he slid into the driver's seat. So maybe Hiei singing 'London Bridge' wasn't the only thing that could surprise him. At least he could say he's seen it all. He settled for leaning against the door and starring at the passing scenery. A part of him, however, was still convinced his truck was hexed.

The truck came to an abrupt stop and the door swung open, causing Yusuke to fall onto the ground in an undignified and cursing lump. He wasn't given time to glare at the black vehicle before a small squeaky voice spoke up.

"He be the one!" Yusuke turned his attention to the small demon with skin the color of a ruby. The right arm of the demon was missing and the skin around the gaping wound was charred. He recognized it as the one that had escaped his wrath the day before. Gathered around the injured creature were five large demons, each one with a set of frightening horns upon their heads and yellow teeth that protruded from their mouths. The other ruby demon that had managed to escape the previous night looked at Yusuke from around the leg of a larger demon with a feral grin upon its face.

"Why did I have to be right?" Yusuke grumbled. The large demons reminded him strongly of Gouki. It wasn't a memory he cared to revisit. Yusuke took a moment to examine his surroundings. They stood nearby a construction site, which would have had screaming workers if the sun had been shining. Taking on the Gouki look-alikes would be difficult if their skin was as tough as his, which meant that a spirit gun to the mouth would be the only way of blasting them. Trying to break the neck of one of them would leave him open to attack. He had found that out numerous times while fighting groups of demons the painful way.

'They may be able to withstand most attacks, but I wonder if they can hold up under pounds of concrete and steel,' he thought as he glanced at the unfinished building. Tired of waiting, one of the demons swung at him with a lamp post. He rolled on the ground to avoid the attack and used the momentum to begin his run towards the construction site. As expected, the towering demons followed him, grunting and growling the entire way.

The demons were forced to bend slightly in order to keep their horns from scraping against the ceiling. Yusuke concentrated on keeping them from bashing his skull in with various scrap metal they tossed in his direction while counting the number of support beams. If he wasn't quick enough, chances were he'd be buried with the demons.

'Too late to back down now,' he thought. He took aim and blasted a support beam before aiming for another. He grunted in pain as a small beam came in contact with his back, sending him flying into a pile of poles. The sound of a cannon blasting attracted the attention of his attackers, giving him the chance to take down a few more beams. The building groaned and shuddered under the loss of support. Shooting down one more, Yusuke began to sprint out of the collapsing building.

He hit the ground face first causing air to rush from his lungs and leave him gasping. He looked over his shoulder to see one of the demons trapped beneath a large slab of concrete. It had a firm grip on his ankle, which is what had caused him to fall, and was grinning knowing Yusuke was about to become buried along with them.

"I don't think so!" Yusuke shot his final store of energy at the demons arm, causing it to cry out viciously and release him. The building was collapsing around him, slowly cutting off any means of escape. The final beams bent and groaned under the weight threatening to give at any moment.

He slid beneath the beams that had partially cut off his exit and scrambled to his feet before continuing to run as the sound of the collapsing building rumbled behind him. He passed the corpse of one of the little ruby demons. At least, he thought the charred remains was the small demon he had fought before.

He passed the topkick, which was already driving away from the destruction, and leapt onto the back before it picked up speed. Already Yusuke could hear the cops racing to the disaster scene and knew there would be no going back to confirm the death of the demons. A familiar black van passed them, heading towards the collapsed building.

'Right on time, as usual. Now I get to worry about whatever charbroiled the demon.' He really didn't want to do it that night, he was exhausted as it was, but if there was a stronger demon roaming about he needed to take care of it.

"I am not sitting back here the whole way home," Yusuke said to the truck. It came to a stop and opened the driver side door. Yusuke climbed down from the trunk and into the front seat. He wasn't given the chance to attempt to drive before it drove off. "I've got to patrol the surrounding area, I know one of the buggers got away again. There's probably another demon around here too. One of the little buggers is charbroiled." He grumbled to himself. Twice in one week a demon managed to slip away!

Somewhere along the line he leaned against the door and closed his eyes, the constant rumbling of the truck and warm air blowing through the vents lulled him to sleep.

**IIIII**

**Wow, the first chapter was liked! I was quite surprised, but am very pleased. I thank you both who have reviewed, you have made my night! I am open to constructive critisism so if you see anything amiss that I may have overlooked or something of the sort feel free to point it out. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**I adjusted the fight in this chapter, Vaeru pointed out that the fight was not detailed enough and I found she was correct. I suppose that's what I get for trying to write a fight scene at eleven at night. Hopefully this is much better. **

**Yu Yu Hakusho (c) Yoshihiro Togashi**

**Transformers (c) Hasbro**


	3. Chapter 3

Something was off, Katashi pondered as he walked the halls of the enormous building. Machines were whirring busily, guns were blasting in the shooting range, and workers were exchanging information and concentrating on their individual tasks. Reports were being filed appropriately and papers for him to look over were constantly being brought to his office. And yet something seemed off. He just couldn't place what.

"Sir!" Yusuke's voice cut through the previously silent hallway. Ah, that's what was missing. Somehow things seemed too quiet unless Yusuke was heard in the simulation room encouraging the soldiers and giving them instruction or was complaining about something. Having two demons within the building tended to change the flow of things especially given their personalities. Many of the workers had grown accustomed to Kurama's sense of humor, himself included. Katashi turned around to give the young man his full attention. Yusuke jogged up to his boss with a determined look upon his face.

"You're in early," Katashi noted as he raised an eyebrow. The boy was more likely to be late than anything and so seeing him in early was peculiar.

"I wanted to ask you a few questions before you lock yourself in your office for the day." Katashi began walking and Yusuke fell in step beside him. "It's about that truck." Yusuke cast a sidelong glance to his boss who was looking amused about something.

"Really?" The old man looked almost eager to hear what Yusuke would say.

"Yeah. Sir, I know you like surprising people, but it would have been nice if you'd have warned me that the truck could drive itself," Yusuke grumbled as he unconsciously rubbed his shoulder where a bruise had formed.

"Yes, yes I could have," Katashi agreed. "However you adapt to situations best if you figure them out yourself." Guessing how Yusuke would react had been a gamble, but apparently his guess was correct and the boy was taking it in stride.

"It was strange though…" Yusuke's tone became contemplative. "It knew where the demons were."

"So he's already working on adapting his sensors, impressive. For a while we thought we would have to send directions."

"Hey, wait, what are you talking about?" Yusuke broke Katashi's musings impatiently. The old man continued on as if Yusuke hadn't spoken.

"While he is here, Ironhide will serve as your partner. He was originally sent here for information, but I think it'd be best if he gathered the information first hand. Also it would be keeping him busy and you out of trouble…"

"Sir," Yusuke cut him off as politely as possible. "You do realize we're talking about a truck right?" Katashi stopped for a moment, looking mildly surprised, before waving a hand around.

"Oh, a truck, yes…yes." He sounded far too distracted for the words to be believable.

"Sir, there's obviously something I don't know that I should know. Information has been kept from me before and I usually find out about it when I almost get my ass fried." It was his Spirit Detective years all over again. He was always told the basics of the case, but the fine details –important details- came later, after he had found out about them first hand.

"It's something you would have to see for yourself," Katashi replied. The words were true, but not enough to pacify Yusuke.  
"Sir, I don't like surprises. I had enough of them when I was a teenager." Yusuke continued to try to pry the information from his boss. Unfortunately, Katashi wasn't about to reveal anything anytime soon. The door to Katashi's office came into sight and his time for questioning was coming to an end.

"Ah," Katashi turned around suddenly. "Yusuke, it would be appreciated if you didn't try to do anymore damage to Ironhide." With that the man went into his office and shut the door, leaving a frustrated and confused Yusuke on the other side.

**IIIIII**

It had been, for the most part, a slow day. He had been assigned to teaching the basics and running drills, nothing related to demon survival. He went out to the shooting range in order to watch over the young recruits practicing their aim when Syoran had been called out for an emergency. Then he got to sit at his rarely used desk and start on his yearly report, the one that took up pages and pages of paper. It was due the first of January, but it took forever to complete and so he started early.

Katashi had let him leave early because the more experienced soldiers were out and about and he usually drilled them before he left. So Yusuke was left with more energy than he was used to having when leaving work. He shrugged on his jacket and fished out his keys. In order to expend his extra energy he decided to drive to the area near Genkai's and do whatever it took to feel like he did something rather than just sit around and instruct.

Yusuke eyed the innocent looking black Topkick warily. It hadn't done anything threatening, or really anything at all besides drive, and his boss wasn't worried that it'd try to run him over. It must be somewhat safe. He climbed into the truck, only slightly surprised when the keys in the ignition turned themselves.

"Oh no," Yusuke said as he gripped the wheel firmly. "I'm going to be the one driving. You are going to be good and not pull any stunts like last night, got it?" The engine revved and the wheel tried to turn, but eventually the truck resigned to the fact that Yusuke was not about to relinquish his control. Yusuke smirked triumphantly. He flipped on the radio, but it shut off immediately. This was repeated three more time before Yusuke growled and gave up. "Fine!" He couldn't shake the feeling that the truck let him have control.

It was a fairly peaceful drive to the wilderness where he could practice without any innocent bystanders accidentally stepping into the line of fire. Once he had parked he took off his jacket and began running laps. His other usual exercises had to be ignored because his back was still sore from being used as batting practice. Metal beams hurt like hell, he was lucky his spine hadn't snapped in two. After a while he began working on his spiritual focus. He had found that he could pack quite a bit of energy into a smaller bullet, but keeping the energy constricted until the initial launch was difficult and took a lot of concentration. Eventually it would allow him more shots and it would be useful when wanting to be inconspicuous. The damage ratio of the blast would also be minimized by a great deal by hitting just the target, but it also required perfect aim. Unfortunately practicing the technique nearly exhausted his entire energy store.

Sweat ran down his forehead as Yusuke powered up for his second shot, taking careful aim at the small target, but making sure the power remained contained. He held fire a moment longer before releasing the blast, which was half the size of his usual Spirit Gun. But it had the same amount of power to it because it obliterated the target and kept on going. For how long, Yusuke didn't know, but he was relieved knowing that there was nothing around for miles.

He let himself fall onto the grass and looked up at the sky as he began to feel the effects of energy loss. He had managed to get it to half the size, but it still caused more damage than necessary and wasn't inconspicuous enough. That blast alone could have taken down ten unintended targets, possibly more if they were close enough for the aftershock to hit them.

The golds, oranges, and reds of the sunset colored the sky. He knew he should start heading home if he wanted to arrive before dark, but he didn't want to move yet. At one point the rapid thumping of his heart would accompany his heavy breathing, but now all was silent. He had been a demon for nearly ten years now, but he still wasn't used to the absence of his heart beat. Perhaps in a hundred years it wouldn't bother him any longer.

His senses were heightened dramatically since his demon blood had awakened and he found himself hearing things he normally wouldn't have. Smelling scents, like blood or even rain, that had faded from human senses days ago. He was also more attuned to life and found the slow pulse in the air that indicated life comforting.

Yusuke closed his eyes as his brows furrowed in concentration. The peaceful thrum was interrupted by a different pattern, one that was unfamiliar to him. Humans, animals and demons all had different life patterns. He had learned to tell one from the other long ago, but this one was alien. It almost had a sound; a low key constant sound that reverberated through the air and disrupted the natural life patterns.  
Warning bells began to ring loudly in his head as he sprang to his feet and scanned the surrounding area. His movements were tense, slow and deliberate. What energy he had left began to gather into his index finger, ready for a sudden attack. His attention was drawn to the truck when it revved its engine. The strange pattern, he noticed, constantly changed unlike a human or demons.

He cautiously approached the truck. Despite it not showing any hostility, Yusuke wasn't about to take a chance. The thing had a life energy proving it was more than just advanced human technology. Chances were humans had nothing to do with its creation at all.

"So, Katashi wasn't off his rocker after all," Yusuke spoke as he circled the truck. "It would explain why your door didn't fly off when I kicked it." The engine revved in an annoyed manner, obviously not happy about the reminder. "You can't be a demon….so what the hell are you?" He probably didn't want to know, but the question had left his mouth before his mind caught up.

The truck backed up and, for a moment, Yusuke thought it was going to drive away. The thought left his mind as quickly as it had come when parts of the truck began shifting and realigning to create a towering figure. Blue optics lit up and looked down at the shocked Yusuke. He took a few steps backward when the giant robot knelt down in front of him, still towering over him despite.

Strangely, the robot didn't do or say anything as Yusuke took a moment to register what he had just seen. Okay, so perhaps there were still things that could surprise him. Suddenly the truck having a name didn't seem so strange anymore.

"A giant robot…well, this is something straight out of the movies," Yusuke muttered. He ran a hand through his hair before looking up at the robot his boss had referred to as Ironhide. "What the hell are you, where did you come from, and what are you doing here?" Yusuke questioned in a rather impatient tone as he crossed his arms. A displeased sound came from Ironhide.

"Impertinent thing aren't you?" Yusuke glowered at him. "Did Katashi not explain the situation to you?"

"When does he ever?" Yusuke grumbled as he began pacing. "Okay, forget my other questions. Katashi said you're supposed to gather information. Information about what?"

"Demons, as you call them," Ironhide replied evenly as he watched Yusuke continue to pace. "We were told the creatures are more common here than anywhere. It is strange that I could not find any such information on them aside from various tales."

"That's because humans aren't supposed to know about them. Anyone who's in the know is supposed to keep their mouths shut about it. That's getting difficult…" Yusuke growled lowly. "Why do they matter to you anyway? All you have to do is step on them. Why the information gathering?"

"In order to fight an opponent, it is useful if you first know about them." Ironhide's words sounded repeated, as if he had heard them thousands of times before.

"Yeah, that does help," Yusuke agreed. "Are there more of your kind? Here on earth?"

"Yes, they are in America currently." Ironhide eyed the man warily and any further questions about his kind would undoubtedly be left unanswered.

'Wonderful, no wonder the demons here are acting strange. They know something different is here and now they have an idea of what it is. They'll probably try to get a hold of one of them.' Yusuke let out a sound of frustration and rubbed his hands through his hair furiously. He ceased his pacing when one of Ironhide's hands blocked his path. Apparently pacing not only annoyed humans, but supernatural beings as well.

"So they sent you here to learn more about demons?"

"I volunteered," Ironhide corrected.

"All right, this is my last question, do you have any means of defense other than the obvious?" He waved his hand in a sweeping motion, motioning to his armor and gargantuan appearance. There was a mechanical whirring and suddenly Yusuke was looking, no longer at a hand, but a large cannon with unknown energy sparking within. "You were just waiting to do that weren't you?" Ironhide merely smirked. Yusuke had a feeling that the mech had a habit of showing off his cannons. "Well, just so you know, I'm not used to working with giant robots."

"I am still adjusting to working with humans, so I suppose that makes us equal."

"This is going to be interesting," Yusuke sighed as he ran his hands through his hair again. Ironhide had come to the conclusion that the motion was a nervous habit.

"Indeed," Ironhide agreed. "Are you through with your questioning?"

"Yeah," Yusuke shrugged as he sat on a boulder and rested his arms on his knees.

"In that case, I have a question myself. How can you still function without a heartbeat?" According to Ironhide's knowledge of organic beings, they needed a heartbeat in order to live. It had baffled him to no end and he had found nothing about it on the world wide web.

"I'm not sure myself," Yusuke admitted. "All I know about it is a demon heart doesn't beat in human terms. I don't know much about what's keeping me alive, my energy maybe. I haven't been a demon long, ten years maybe, and there's still a lot I haven't figured out yet. When it comes to the inner workings of a demon, Kurama would be the best person to ask. Anything else?"

"No."

"Okay." Yusuke looked up at the dark, star specked sky before speaking again. "Can we go home?" The clicks and whirring filled the area as Ironhide transformed into the Topkick and opened the car door. Yusuke climbed in and buckled up as Ironhide drove on the dirt path. Yusuke closed his eyes and remained silent for a while before speaking suddenly. "You blasted that demon."

"It was trying to rip off my door," Ironhide defended. "Are demons obsessed with ripping off car doors?" Yusuke let out a bark of laughter in response.

**IIIII**

**My first time writing Ironhide, I hope I'm doing well. I keep reffering to wikipedia and various, well written, fanfiction. I have a basic idea of how he is, but am not entirely certain. I know for a fact he's trigger happy. No one can deny that! Thank you to those who have reviewed my story. I'm glad that you guys are enjoying it!  
**

**I adjusted the fight in the previous chapter, Vaeru pointed out that the fight was not detailed enough and I found she was correct. I suppose that's what I get for trying to write a fight scene at eleven at night. Hopefully this is much better. **

**Yu Yu Hakusho (c) Yoshihiro Togashi**

**Transformers (c) Hasbro**


End file.
